The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-09-16
THE RELIZ CANYON.

To those who seek the sea-shore
and its attractions, these lines will
be of no interest, but to some Of
those who seek the quletude and
sports of the hills, they will be well
come. Among the many little shell
tered valleys and hooks that open
into the Salinas, few present more
attractions, to the seeker after ma.
ture In her quiet moods, than Reliz
Canyon.
The Reliz, as it is called, is rather
a valley than a canyon. The road
into it lies up the bottom of the vail
ley, crossing its little creek severa-
times, and shaded much of the way
by oaks. The valley opens into the
Arroyo Seco at John Browns place,
about ten miles from Soledad. Ten
miles from Mr.. Browns on Berry's
place, the Reliz proper is reached.
This "Reliz" which gives the can
yon Cd its name, is narrow cleft,
clear through a rocky ridge, caused,
no doubt, by some CONFUSION of ma
ture, aud is quite. unique in its way.
A climb of several hundred feet
brings one to the summit of the
Reliz, but the trees growing in its
rocky sides hide the bottom from
view. Near by, the rocky ridge
comes to an abrupt termination in
an almost overhanging precipice of
several hundred feet in height. In
the shadow of this cliff the creek
runs clear and cool, and the trees
growing on its bank form many
shady nook, such as one expects to
find only in dense forests. Follow
ing the stream above Mr.. Berry's
we. find its bed in the sandstone,
wherever it is visible, and after max
ing an abrupt turn to the west, we
find 1T coming through narrow
cleft in the rocks from an inclosed
basin, called "The Pocket" A
trail over the ridge is much easier
way of entering the Pocket than by
the stream bed, which, for much of
the way here, is series of rocky
steps. Within the Pocket the stream
is covered by drifted gravel, but
anon the hills approach each other,
the stream appears again, dancing
down its rocky steps, and brilliant
display of towering plants complete
ly embowers its course. Suddenly
we find our way barred by steep and
rugged rocks, and either by difficult
climbing or circuitous ways we pass
the minor waterfalls that here OBJ
struct our passage. Whichever
course we pursue we come suddenly
upon a fairy-like scene as beautiful
as unexpected. A basin; whose
cavernous sides almost arch above,
and whose floor, except where lies
the pool from above, is covered with
masses of scarlet, white and yellow
flowers, forms the foreground to one
of the most beautiful little waterfalls
imaginable. The height of the fall
is between thlrty-ive and forty feet,
and after falling half the distance,
the water shoots down the face of an
almost perpendicular mosa-covered
rock in perfect sheet vi foam. The
rock to the right of the fall, and ex-
tending to its full height, was mass
of boykinias, whose shining green
leaves and clusters of white blossoms
made magnificent display, though
hardly surprising in beauty the dis
play of ferns extending up the rock
on the other side of the fall. The
roofs of the caverns on either side
are adorned with numerous stalacti-
ties in process of formation. 1t is
needless to add that these caverns
are pleasantly cool in the warmest
day.
Just south of this vicinity lie the
new gold fields, and as the country
between it and the coast settles up,
most likely many other such of Mon
terey's beauty spots may be found,
Int none more beautiful.